Rising gracefully beside Luna Park, the art deco Palais (c 1927) is a St Kilda icon, with everyone from the Rolling Stones and Rufus Wainwright to the Pixies and Hannah Gadsby gracing its stage. The heritage-listed building recently finished a $26 million renovation, with the original exterior colours and historic ceiling domes restored, its lighting and electronics upgraded, and more.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Luna Park

0.04 MILES

Luna Park opened in 1912 and still has an old-style amusement-park feel, with creepy Mr Moon’s gaping mouth swallowing you up as you enter. There’s a…

2. Linden New Art

0.17 MILES

Housed in a whitewashed, wrought-iron-clad 1870s mansion, Linden mainly champions new contemporary art by mid-career artists. The annual postcard show …

3. St Kilda Foreshore

0.26 MILES

With a palm-fringed promenade, sandy beach and eclectic architecture, St Kilda’s seaside appeal lands somewhere between Brighton in England and Venice…

4. St Kilda Pier

0.41 MILES

Jutting out over the bay, St Kilda Pier offers a smashing view of the Melbourne skyline, best seen at sunset. The Edwardian-style kiosk at the end of the…

5. St Kilda Botanical Gardens

0.47 MILES

Taking pride of place on the southern side of the Barkly–Carlisle–Blessington Sts triangle, the Botanical Gardens are an unexpected haven from St Kilda's…

6. Jewish Museum of Australia

0.69 MILES

Interactive displays and timelines tell the history of Australia’s Jewish community from the earliest days of European settlement, while permanent…

7. Elwood Beach

1.21 MILES

A short drive or a concerted foreshore walk will take you to this swimming beach. Usually less windswept, though often no less crowded, than St Kilda…

8. Artists Lane

1.29 MILES

Running parallel to Chapel St is Artists Lane (Aerosol Alley to southsiders), a long bluestone alley splattered in street art. The project was initiated…